Trump immigration comments spark chaos in GOP

House GOP leaders have put a compromise immigration bill on ice after President TrumpDonald John TrumpViolence erupts between counter-protestors, Trump supporters following DC rally Biden considering King for director of national intelligence: report Here are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year MORE said Friday he “certainly” would not sign the legislation.

Trump’s comments have thrown into doubt whether House Republicans will even take up the thorny issue of immigration this crucial election year. Immigration votes had been planned for next week.

Republican leaders at the last-minute scrapped a planned Friday whip check on the compromise bill. Instead, they will try to gauge support for the bill next week after they get clarification about what exactly Trump meant in his Friday interview on Fox News, Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenryPatrick Timothy McHenryMaxine Waters says Biden win is 'dawn of a new progressive America' McCarthy: 'I would think I already have the votes' to remain as House GOP leader Ex-RNC, Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy charged in covert lobbying scheme MORE (R-N.C.) told reporters.

McHenry cautioned that House Republicans won’t “take on” immigration unless they have Trump's backing.

“We want to get clarity on the president’s position on this bill,” McHenry said just off the House floor. “Republicans are not going to take on immigration without the support and endorsement of President Trump.”

Even if leadership pushes ahead with the vote, one key lawmaker questioned whether Thursday is still a realistic timetable.

“In light of everything, I think it's fair to ask the question: Is next Thursday premature on these two votes?” said Rep. Mark WalkerBradley (Mark) Mark WalkerRundown of the House seats Democrats, GOP flipped on Election Day Democrat Kathy Manning wins open seat in North Carolina, flipping seat Live updates: Democrats seek to extend House advantage MORE (R-N.C.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC).

Trump later tweeted a list of priorities that are already included in the compromise immigration bill.

The Democrats are forcing the breakup of families at the Border with their horrible and cruel legislative agenda. Any Immigration Bill MUST HAVE full funding for the Wall, end Catch & Release, Visa Lottery and Chain, and go to Merit Based Immigration. Go for it! WIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2018

Trump’s impromptu remarks threw a wrench into GOP leadership’s immigration plans.

Republican leaders, who were desperate to stave off a discharge petition from centrists that would force a free-wheeling immigration debate on the House floor, reached an agreement to hold two votes next week on a pair of immigration bills, including the compromise measure and a more hard-line bill from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) earlier in the week said that Trump was “excited” about the compromise bill, while White House senior adviser Stephen Miller had met with conservatives on Capitol Hill to rally support for the immigration framework.

But several top House conservatives declared the 293-page compromise bill “dead on arrival” following Trump’s comments Friday.

Trump’s remarks were a “relief,” said Rep. Steve KingSteven (Steve) Arnold KingFeenstra wins Iowa House race to fill Steve King's seat Democrats lead in 3 of 4 Iowa House races: poll Hillicon Valley: House votes to condemn QAnon | Americans worried about foreign election interference | DHS confirms request to tap protester phones MORE (R-Iowa), an immigration hard-liner who predicted that votes on both immigration bills would fail next week.

Asked if Republicans could pass an immigration bill without Trump’s support, Rep. Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanSunday shows preview: Biden team gears up for transition, Trump legal battles continue and pandemic rages on Hundreds of Trump supporters protest election results in Pennsylvania This election wasn't a zero-sum game, and it's going to be messy MORE (R-Ohio), a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, tersely replied: “No.”

The compromise immigration bill is “on life support,” added Rep. Robert AderholtRobert Brown AderholtLobbying world The Hill's Coronavirus Report: WHO vs. Trump; Bernie's out Bottom line MORE (R-Ala.), an RSC member who opposes that legislation.

Rep. Michael McCaulMichael Thomas McCaulFormer VOA producer sues US global media agency over termination Record number of women to serve in the next Congress OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Down ballot races carry environmental implications | US officially exits Paris climate accord  MORE (R-Texas) said they were expecting the White House to put out a statement “any minute” clarifying Trump’s comments.

Rep. Ileana Ros-LehtinenIleana Carmen Ros-LehtinenTrump-backed Republican unseats Shalala in Miami House race Live updates: Democrats seek to extend House advantage Women rise on K Street — slowly MORE (R-Fla.), who is facing a tough reelection bid in a district that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonHere are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year Why the polls were wrong Obama hits Trump for refusing to concede, says there's 'no legal basis' for challenges MORE won by nearly 20 points in 2016, added, “This is going to be a cliffhanger.”

The compromise measure sticks to the four main pillars demanded by Trump: It creates a new merit-based visa program for so-called Dreamers, provides $25 billion for border security, ends the diversity visa lottery program and limits family-based migration.

The legislation goes even further by including a trigger mechanism to halt the new visas if Congress denies funding for the border wall, ending the separation of immigrant children and parents at the border, and ending “catch and release” immigration loopholes.

Centrist Rep. Mario Diaz-BalartMario Rafael Diaz-BalartOvernight Health Care: US shatters single day COVID record with over 100,000 cases | Pelosi announces COVID-19 testing expansion for House | Two states to require masks in public at all times Pelosi announces COVID-19 testing expansion for House Georgia Republican Drew Ferguson tests positive for COVID-19 MORE (R-Fla.), one of the key negotiators, said the compromise bill is the last, best chance for any immigration and border security proposal to become law this year.

“It's the only shot at [the wall] and it's the only shot, I believe ... to legalize the Dreamers, stop the deportation of the Dreamers, and to have a permanent fix for them," said Diaz-Balart.

This isn't the first time that Trump has scuttled GOP leadership's plans by announcing last-minute opposition to a bill. 

Hours before the House was scheduled to vote on controversial legislation renewing the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program in January, Trump tweeted that the program was used to "badly surveil and abuse the Trump Campaign."

Capitol Hill was instantly thrown into confusion ahead of what was already expected to be a tight vote before Trump walked back his comments in a separate tweet.

Rafael Bernal and Juliegrace Brufke contributed.

Updated at 1:19 p.m.